Norm Letnick, B.C. Liberal Health Critic
On Friday, Premier John Horgan published an Opinion Piece bringing attention to the recent efforts made by the NDP government in the area of health care. However, what he failed to mention, is that all of those initiatives were started under the previous B.C. Liberal government.
The premier took it upon himself to take credit for the opening of new primary care centres, creating primary care networks, and for funding spaces for 200 more doctors, 200 nurse practitioners, and 50 clinical pharmacists.
Premier Horgan also patted himself on the back for working to build new hospitals in Surrey and Terrace, a patient-care tower in Richmond, and hospital redevelopments in the Cariboo, Comox Valley, and Penticton.
Every single one of these initiatives began under the B.C. Liberals. I applaud his government for following through on our commitments and continuing to address the very real needs throughout this province. To take the time to publish a piece taking sole credit for this progress however, is cynical politics.
The initial plan to create spaces for a team-based primary health care system was started in 2015 through a series of government reports, followed by input from doctors, nurses, and other key stakeholders, which resulted in the creation of a four-point action plan in 2016.
A result of the action plan in 2017 was a $90 million commitment over three years to bring integrated team-based primary care services to more communities across B.C. This meant including more nurses, nurse practitioners, and primary care clinics. The rollout began under Minister Terry Lake with a new model of team-based care in several B.C. communities.
Recruiting an additional 200 doctors and 200 nurse practitioners is noble progress, but the premier made no mention of the hundreds recruited by the Divisions of Family Practice under the GPforMe program. While the recruitment goal for the GPforMe program was lofty, I believe when it comes to providing world-class health care in our province, it is best to aim high and strive for the best achievable results. That also means providing accurate information and maintaining consistent definitions of success.
The government says 780,000 British Columbians don’t have access to a primary care provider. How many will have access after these additional resources are expended? Will they change the definition of primary care provider to make it easier to demonstrate success?
British Columbians deserve answers to these important questions, and others, from their premier. Instead, we have a self-congratulatory opinion piece lauding B.C. Liberal initiatives without any of the credit.
NORM LETNICK, MLA,
KELOWNA-LAKE COUNTRY
B.C. Liberal Health Critic
